u/WorkingAlive3258

I’m so sick of this Japanese workplace mentality where people seem to think they’re somehow more important or more committed just because they stay at the office later than everyone else.

I work my ass off and get through everything I’m assigned at breakneck speed. Then, when it’s finally time for me to leave, my senpai gives me the option of either staying a bit longer to keep working or just picking things up again tomorrow.

So I choose to continue tomorrow only to get chewed out afterwards for not choosing to stay and work overtime.

What makes it even more ridiculous is that, supposedly, at my company everyone is free to decide for themselves whether they want to stay past working hours or not. Apparently not, though, because if you actually choose to leave on time, you get judged for it anyway.

It honestly makes all the effort I put in during the day feel completely pointless. It seems like actually getting your work done efficiently matters less than simply being physically present at the office for as long as possible.

Is there any good way to stand your ground with people who try to boss you around or guilt-trip you just because you don’t share their work-yourself-to-death mentality?

What comeback should I use when my boss tells me that wages are calculated in full-hour increments instead of by the minute, every 15 minutes, or every half hour?

Keep in mind that I’m paid by the hour and I don’t get any bonuses.

This is a company that claims they do this because they’re “very strict about time,” which is something I still don’t really understand.

For example, if I start working at 3:20 PM, I don’t start getting paid until 4:00 PM because the previous hour has already partially started.

I don’t know how this works in other countries, but I work in Japan, where this is illegal.

For example, what happens if you already started working at the new company before realizing that the job duties may not qualify under 技人国?

Would Immigration ask you to stop working, change your status of residence, or could this potentially cause problems with your current visa or future renewal?

I temporarily deactivated my Instagram account, then logged back in shortly after. When I tried to deactivate it again, Instagram wouldn’t let me because you can apparently only do it once per week.

So I requested permanent deletion instead. The account is currently hidden and scheduled to be permanently deleted after September 19, but I can still log in and cancel the deletion.

I’ve now changed my mind and just want to temporarily deactivate it again. More than a week has already passed since my last temporary deactivation.

If I log in now and cancel the permanent deletion, can I temporarily deactivate the account immediately afterward, or will I have to wait another 7 days from the moment I log back in?

If so, why does the country maintain such a restrictive immigration system?

If Japan really does depend on foreign workers to cope with its declining population and labor shortages, it seems contradictory that it yet still does very little to make the country feel more welcoming to foreigners.

If work life balance in Japan is so poor that it is contributing to the country’s demographic decline (particularly through a low birth rate, which is also exacerbated by low wages) why hasn’t Japanese society taken more effective measures so far to ensure that people can enjoy a healthier work-life balance?

Personally, I think real mastery involves being familiar with as many uncommon words and idioms as possible. Otherwise, I’m not sure you can really say you’ve mastered the language.

My reasoning is that, even if some expressions are rarely used, you should still be able to understand them when you eventually come across them however unlikely that may be. If you’re going to consider yourself fully proficient in English, you should be prepared for those kinds of situations too.

That said, to be honest, I don’t think many people have that kind of goal in mind. I’m really referring to people whose lives revolve around English and who see it as more than just a hobby.

I’m asking because many of the expressions I studied while preparing for C2 are rarely used nowadays and some even seem rather old-fashioned. I’m genuinely curious about the areas in which someone with a C2 level would outperform someone with a solid C1.

I’m not trying to diminish the achievement of anyone who has passed the exam. I haven’t passed it myself yet and I’d honestly love to. Not because I need the qualification for work, university or anything else but simply as a personal challenge.

It’s also worth pointing out that when I took the C2 exam, I came very close to passing. I got a Grade A in Use of English and also passed the Listening paper, but my overall score still wasn’t high enough. Ever since then, I’ve had this nagging feeling that I need to go back and finish what I started.

At the same time, I’ve heard native speakers say that some of the expressions I learned for C2 such as cut no ice with someone or keep a weather eye on something are hardly ever used. Some of them had never even heard those expressions before.

That makes me wonder whether preparing for such an demanding exam is really worth the time and effort. Beyond the certificate itself, what practical advantages does C2 offer over C1?

I’m asking because many of the expressions I studied while preparing for C2 are rarely used nowadays and some even seem rather old-fashioned. I’m genuinely curious about the areas in which someone with a C2 level would outperform someone with a solid C1.

I’m not trying to diminish the achievement of anyone who has passed the exam. I haven’t passed it myself yet and I’d honestly love to. Not because I need the qualification for work, university or anything else but simply as a personal challenge.

The problem is that I currently live in Japan, where resources for advanced learners are extremely limited if not practically non-existent.

It’s also worth pointing out that when I took the C2 exam, I came very close to passing. I got a Grade A in Use of English and also passed the Listening paper, but my overall score still wasn’t high enough. Ever since then, I’ve had this nagging feeling that I need to go back and finish what I started.

At the same time, I’ve heard native speakers say that some of the expressions I learned for C2 such as cut no ice with someone or keep a weather eye on something are hardly ever used. Some of them had never even heard those expressions before.

That makes me wonder whether preparing for such an demanding exam is really worth the time and effort. Beyond the certificate itself, what practical advantages does C2 offer over C1?

They seem to mean the same thing. Is there a regional difference between the two?